By CATHERINE WILDE
Staff Reporter
cwilde@cortlandstandard.net
Cortland County Highway Committee members will hold a special meeting Thursday to consider allocating $18,000 out of contingency funds to cover the painting of the Dwyer Park Pavilion.
The pavilion, situated at the north end of Little York Lake, is rented for events such as weddings and other gatherings and is home to the Cortland Repertory Theater, which has performances from June to August.
The Highway Committee received a $78,900 bid July 13 from the construction company Paul Yaman Inc. to paint the pavilion. But the Highway Department has insufficient funds budgeted to cover the work so legislators have proposed making up the difference out of county contingency funds. Highway Superintendent Don Chambers said Yaman was the sole bidder for the work.
The Highway Committee has been discussing painting the pavilion since it was repaired last fall.
Chambers said the building maintenance line item in the department budget only has about $61,000 available and he wants to leave a few thousand available in case more repairs are needed before the end of the year. Chambers said this line item was depleted partially because $40,000 was taken from the fund to cover the pavilion’s porch repairs that were done in 2008.
“We had a project that exceeded our estimated amount in 2008 and a portion of that project the payment was deferred to 2009. That was the retrofitting of the porch supports... to bring the porch up to code,” Chambers said. He said the plan was to paint the pavilion this year after the repairs were completed.
“We didn’t complete the project until late winter or early spring. We wanted to wait until the project was completed and then move forward with painting,” Chambers said.
The work will include painting the entire exterior of the building and the second level wood deck floor, said project manager James Bryan.
“We are painting all the new wood and structural repairs and the old siding and trim, windows, doors... stairs, everything on the outside,” Bryan said. According to the bid, the wood columns on the porch and the stair framing and trim will all be repainted as well.
In keeping with the historic paint scheme of the building, the Cortland Repertory Theater requested that the pavilion be painted red and white, a request the Highway Committee Approved last month. These colors are specified in the bid and Chambers said the building will be red and the trim will be white.
Since contingency funds are needed to complete the work, Highway Committee member Newell Willcox (R-Homer) said he will ask about the particulars of the fund’s deficiency.
“Last year we were short money and that budget was... used in 2008 for 2009 for ... renovations in the park up there. I’m not sure of these numbers so I’m going to ask those questions in the special meeting,” Willcox said.
Tom Hartnett (D-4th Ward) said the pavilion is in need of a paint job and he wants to receive more information on the bid that was received since he missed the July 7 Highway Committee meeting.
Danny Ross (R-Cortlandville) said he does not want to go into contingency funds.
“The way the budget is I don’t think we should go into contingency if we can’t find it in highway someplace else... I’ll say maybe we have to wait until next year,” Ross said.
Legislators could decide to rebid the project.
The pavilion was constructed in 1906 and has undergone changes over the years. A slate-roofed restroom was added on the north side in 1961, enclosed verandahs were also added and the roof was changed from cedar shingles to a combination of tin and asphalt shingles, which was reshingled in 2001.
The pavilion is considered architecturally unique in the area.